Prague area has six special-protection territories of national natural monument (NPP) category and a projection of the Bohemian Karst protected landscape area (CHKO).
Nature Protection
Prague area has six special-protection territories of national natural monument (NPP) category and a projection of the Bohemian Karst protected landscape area (CHKO).
The first attemtps at protection of certain areas, usually motivated by the endeavour to preserve hunting grounds, are several centuries old. Our oldest nature reserves (Žofín Forest and Hojná Voda in the Novohradské Hory mountains) have been protected since 1838, the well known Boubín Forest since 1858. In the years to follow the protection of further forest complexes was declared successively.
The first legal norm in this country was the Act No. 40/1956 CoL on State Protection of Nature. As early as one year before the adoption of this Act the Český Ráj (Bohemian Paradise) was declared a Protected Landscape (1955). The legal norm in force at present, the Act of the Czech National Council No. 114/1992 CoL on Nature and Lanscape Protection dates from February 19, 1992. Together with related implementation regulations this Act deals comprehensively with the problems of nature and landscape protection in the Czech Republic.
Categories of Specially Protected Areas
Act No. 114/1992 CoL differentiates several categories of specially protected areas.
Their number includes:
a) National Park (extensive area unique on national or international scale the major parts of which are occupied by natural or not very much man-influenced ecosystems in which plants, animals and inanimate nature are of extraordinary scientific and educational significance). By way of example we can mention the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains, Riesengebirge) National Park. - There is no National Park in the territory of Prague.
b) Protected Landscape Area (extensive area with harmonious landscape, characteristic ground relief, significant proportion of natural forest ecosystems and permanent grass vegetation, with ample representation of wood species, possibly with preserved monuments of historical settlement). The only Protected Landscape Area reaching into the territory of Prague is the Bohemian Karst.
c) National Nature Reserve (minor area of extraordinary value with ecosystems significant or exceptional on national or international scale bound with the natural ground relief of typical geological structure).
d) National Natural Monument (natural formation of minor extent, particularly a geological or geomorphological formation, finding place of minerals or rare or threatened species in ecosystem fragments, of national or international ecological, scientific or aesthetic significance including those formed not only by nature, but also by man - see the map on p. 24 below).
e) Nature Reserve (minor area of concentrated natural values with the representation of ecosystems typical of and significant for the respective geographic area).
f) Natural Monument (natural formation of minor extent, particularly a geological or geomorphological formation, finding place of rare minerals or threatened species in ecosystem fragments of regional ecological, scientific or aesthetic significance including those formed not only by nature, but also by man).
A list of National Nature Reserves, National Natural Monuments and Nature Reserves was issued as Annex to the Decree No. 395/1992 CoL of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.
In this connection mention should be made also of the Biosphere Reserves. Usually they are major areas with preserved ecosystems significant also on international scale. They are established by the UNESCO. In the proximity of Prague the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area was declared such Biosphere Reserve.
Protected areas are marked with panels with the State coat-of-arms and category denomiantion and the so-called "stripe mark". The poles or tree trunks at the boundary of protected areas are provided with two red stripes - the upper along the whole circumference, the lower only along that part of the circumference which corresponds with the sector of unprotected territory.
Further Protected Parts of Nature
Under Act No. 114/1992 CoL the protection covers also outstanding individual trees, groups of trees and avenues. In Prague the declaration of a major number of memorable trees is under preparation. The Nature and Landscape Protection Act covers also rare or threatened plants and animals which are of high scientific or cultural significance. Lists of specially protected animal and plant species are annexed with the Decree No. 395/1992 CoL. Both lists are classified into three groups comprizing: critically threatened, heavily threatened and threatened species.
Nature Protection Authorities and Agencies
The number of nature protection authorities includes in the first place communal authorities. Authorized Communal Offices declare the protection of memorable trees. District Offices exercise State administration in nature protection in their territories except for National Parks and Protected Landscape Areas and declare Nature Reserves and Natural Monuments. State administration in territories of National Parks and Protected Landscape Areas is exercised analogously by the Administrations of National Parks and Administrations of Protected Landscape Areas.
The central State administration authority of nature protection is the Ministry of the Environment which i.a. declares National Nature Reserves and National Natural Monuments. Its professional institution is the Agency for Nature and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic with a network of regional centres in the individual regions, i.a. also in Prague. It is through this Agency that the Ministry of the Environment implements most of its tasks in the field of nature protection.
Erosion ravine in Housle (PP) ranks among the geomorphologically remarkable formations of Prague area.